Mayoral debate calls for an investment in city’s youth, finances
Kendra Jones
York College of Pennsylvania’s History and Political Science Student Union Group hosted a York City mayoral debate Thursday evening. Candidate Michael Helfrich attended, but candidate and York City Mayor Kim Bracey was absent, represented by City Business Administrator Michael Doweary.
While Helfrich noted he was told Bracey originally denied the invitation for the debate, Doweary claimed that Bracey received the invitation a week ago after she had already committed to working on a city parks program with Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians that was scheduled months ago. It was noted that the invite for the forum was sent out March 28.
Students and community members asked Helfrich and Doweary multiple questions about community outreach, drugs and crime, employment rates and property tax.
Both Helfrich and Doweary put focus on the community’s youth. Both candidates believe that the community needs to have activities for children. “Problems in the schools occur even before they get to school,” said Helfrich.
“If we can’t get to the root of issues, we are spending money on band aids.”
Helfrich said that the city spent 250,000 dollars on new light posts, instead of on kids. “We are not stepping in. We are playing beaurocrat.”
Doweary discussed his views on community outreach. No Child Left Behind is not working. He believes that there could be 60 social programs geared towards children; the avenues are there, but he doesn’t know how the community should turn the corner. “It can’t be a No Child Left Behind approach, it has to be a full body.”
In 2016 alone, there were 70 confirmed heroin deaths in York County.
According to Helfrich, crime is down 31 percent from record high in 1990s. However the murder rate hasn’t dropped. “We have much more work to do when it comes to fighting crime — the drug epidemic.”
Helfrich said that when people go into prison for marijuana, they come out a gang member. This arose further questioning from the audience.
Both candidates agreed that York needs to get competitive with other third cities when it comes to employment. Doweary said that a combination of factors leads to the city’s employment struggles — labor force — 90 percent of income is earned by people that don’t live in the city.
When asked what each candidate’s administration would do going forward with undocumented immigrants in city, Doweary said that the negative connotation that the city is harboring fugitives couldn’t be farther from the truth. “We welcome all, but we still have no tolerance for crime.”
To help inmates coming out of prison reintegrate into society, Helfrich said that he has a plan that involves getting inside prisons and getting people documents they need, such as ID documentation. He thinks that those released from prison wants to change their lives but feels as though crime is the only community supporting them. “We need places around the city to attract people.”
Doweary said that Bracey has initiated My Brother’s Keepers and several other initiatives along those lines. He said that the biggest challenge is disparity in the budget of which the city has.
While both candidates seek improvements in community outreach and financial situations of the city through various methods, both are hopeful that the May 16 primary election will mark the beginning of York City moving into a positive direction.
